Right next door, at the same time, the open iron gates of Live at the Lounge reveal an intimate, softly lit, mahogany theater and a more classically inclined audience.

Tables covered in white linen, a large screen that projects an image of a stage adorned with leopard-print carpet, and a camera trained on the keys of a piano decorate the Lounge.

Live at the Lounge patrons enjoy dinner and wine, socializing with classical musicians.

Then the lights dim and a red-haired man in a white blazer, argyle socks and lime-green glasses sits down at the piano. He closes his eyes, his fingers gracefully scale the ivory keys, and his body sways with the enchanting sound of composer Caleb Burhans’ “In Time of Desperation.”

The experience is entrancing and purely avant-garde.

This refined weekly experience comes courtesy of Mike Lacey – owner of Live at the Lounge and the Comedy & Magic Club – and pianist Yana Resnik, the resident artistic adviser. Together, they are working to redefine the way people listen to and perceive classical music in the South Bay.

Bound by a shared love for the classical genre, the two have transformed Lacey’s Lounge into an intimate setting for classical concerts that feature established and up-and-coming musicians every Saturday.

Located in the heart of Hermosa Beach’s nightlife district, Live at the Lounge is not exactly a conventional setting for classical performances. The venue is no concert hall – it seats about 90 people – and alcohol and food are served to guests as they listen to the music.

Despite this, the venue has proven to be a fine location for classical artists to play contemporary, sometimes edgy pieces with the benefit of strong acoustics.

Previously a martini bar called Lounge at the Beach, the site has staged concerts for about three years. Typically frequented by alternative, pop and jazz artists, Lounge at the Beach widened its musical selection and audience diversity with the introduction of the “Classical Music LA” series.

The series is the fruit of Lacey’s personal experience with the classical genre.

As a child, Lacey recalled, he accompanied his aunt and uncle to a Hollywood Bowl concert by classical pianist Leonard Pennario, who was a friend of the family until his death in 2008. After the concert, Pennario invited the trio to his home for a private concert in his living room.

“He played this avant-garde, interesting and complicated music out of Argentina and said, `This is what I really want to play, but they won’t allow me to play it,”‘ said Lacey, a resident of Manhattan Beach.

Having witnessed Pennario’s struggle with the boundaries of traditional classical music venues – and his freedom to play what he wanted at home – Lacey eventually had the idea of presenting classical music in an environment with the feeling of “a living room.”

This, he said, would allow patrons to hear music that artists “want to play (and) that you wouldn’t hear in a normal concert hall setting.”

Lacey’s vision, coupled with Resnik’s desire as a performer to broaden the realms of classical music, was further aided by local engineer Jim Eninger, who writes a weekly newsletter about upcoming classical performances.

Their idea was set into action when they premiered the concert series in February. Since then, the venue’s Saturday night lineup has included members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, musicians of L.A.’s Colburn School of Performing Arts and other classically trained performers.

“The response has been phenomenal (and) there have been a lot of standing (ovations),” Lacey said. “So many members of the audience have come up to me after the shows and said, `This is really how classical music is meant to be performed, it started in these smaller environments.”‘

The concert series, described as a combination of tradition, innovation and fun, manages to integrate the sophistication of classical music with the laid-back essence of Hermosa Beach.

“We want to break the stuffy idea that you’re supposed to dress up and sit quietly in an uncomfortable chair when you come (to a classical concert),” said Resnik, who trained at New York’s Manhattan School of Music and obtained a master’s degree from USC’s Thornton School of Music.

“It’s really all about the music and the fun behind the music,” she said. “We’re just trying to break the rules that pull people away from classical music and make it more acceptable, pleasant and approachable for people to really receive this music.”

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